Chapter 187: Chapter 187. Boy (4)

[Yeonhwanet – The Channel for Theatrical Studies Students]

Part 5 – Singer Recruitment

– [MG] 2012 Regular Audition – October

– Yerang ENT 11th generation audition

– Sio Entertainment looking for Onestep trainees

– GNB Entertainment (Nael, Twistel) trainee recruitment announcement.

***

It was now October and leaves started falling.

‘Yeonhwanet’, the no.1 community and employment-oriented website for singers and actresses, was filled with notices of recruitment from various companies. These announcements were very rare throughout the summer, and companies started putting up their notices one by one starting from September. After Thanksgiving, there were numerous companies putting up notices.

In a computer lab in Hallyeo Arts University, two ladies talked about their futures while looking at these notices on Yeonhwanet.

“I’ll definitely get into MG this time.”

“I’m aiming for Yoonseul. Ah, I have to get in this time….”

Their interests were naturally directed towards MG, Yerang, Yoonseul, GNB – the ‘large’ companies.

These companies were akin to the Ivy League in terms of universities, and they knew that they would have an easier time when they debuted only if they entered one of those big companies.

However, a girl with long hair kept scrolling and could not hide her disappointment when she scrolled to the bottom of the page.

“Tch, it’s not here this time either.”

“Which one?”

“You know, the one that’s all the rage recently. Where did Eunha belong to again?”

“Oh, World, you mean? Well, I guess they’re really good. They take first place in charts like nothing. But what good is that? They don’t put up recruitment notices.”

The shorter girl expressed her disappointment and looked down.

Even on Yeonhwanet, the place all entertainment companies used to recruit their trainees did not contain a notice from World Entertainment.

The large companies were always the no.1 choice for many people, but small, yet reassuring companies like World Entertainment also grabbed their attention since all of their achievements until now were huge.

The problem…

“Just how did SoYoung-seonbae get in there? Is it through connections?”

“I don’t know, Maybe… a sexual favor?”

“Hey, hey. Don’t speak nonsense. There’s a rumor that the president there is impotent.”

“Eek? Where did you hear that?”

“From someone else.”

(T/N: The actual word for ‘sexual favor’ was ‘sponsor’. As sponsors are the ones who provide money, they have a lot of influence over the production of the thing they sponsor. In Korea, this ended up introducing bad things like bribes and sexual favor due to the ‘sponsor gets what the sponsor wants’ mindset. Somehow, ‘sponsor’ became synonymous with ‘sexual favor’.)

The girls produced absurd rumors and kept on chatting.

“I’ve even uploaded a video to World and there’s nothing back.”

“Huh? You did too? I did it too. I never got a call back either… goddammit.”

The video seemed to have disappeared.

World Entertainment seemed close yet so far.

Just as the girls were complaining about World Entertainment, someone walked towards them.

“KangMi, SeonAh, what are you two doing?”

When they turned around, Professor Choi ChanYang was waving at the two with a smile.

The girls became cheerful and asked him about the things they wanted to know.

“Professor, what’s World Entertainment like?”

“Huh? Why do you ask? Are you interested?”

The long-haired girl’s eyes shone.

“Yes. World is all the rage these days.”

“Well, I guess so. They’ve been having great results for all of their albums recently.”

Professor Choi ChanYang acknowledged.

They became big whenever they appeared in public. Albums, OSTs, and even variety shows.

The company seemed to have Lady Luck smiling at them and had great achievements in everything they did. Wouldn’t the students know that? Moreover, these girls were preparing for employment and did everything to get more information.

At that moment, Professor Choi ChanYang seemed to have thought up of something and clapped.

“Oh, you can ask this Friday. Talk To Your Seniors is on this Friday.”

“Talk To Your Seniors? Oh.”

The girls remembered.

It was one of the traditions of Halleyo Arts University where graduates who were doing well in the industry came back to the college to advise their juniors on various things.

“HyunAh’s the one coming this time. You can ask at that time.”

“Really?”

Lee HyunAh.

She was an iconic figure who succeeded with World Entertainment.

The girls’ eyes were filled with curiosity.

***

A bar located in Dobong-gu.

This bar was rather dark and empty.

“……”

“……”

KangYoon and Lee HyunJi quietly drank with the president of Keyode Entertainment, Kang GiJoon.

There were already several empty soju bottles beneath their table. However, president Kang GiJoon kept filling KangYoon’s empty glass as though he was very strong with alcohol.

“…Eunha is amazing. She was able to refuse in that situation.”

Comparing Kim JiMin to Lee MinHye, who switched companies at the first opportunity, president Kang GiJoon bitterly drank another glass. When his messy beard caught some of the droplets, he wiped it away.

KangYoon put down the empty glass and spoke with a calm tone.

“There’s the time we went through together. I believe that the weight of going through thick and thin together was heavier than the weight of the temptation.”

“Then…”

President Kang GiJoon looked at KangYoon with sad eyes.

“What about me? Haha… Why did MinHye abandon me and go there, do you think? The hardships we went through together had no meaning to her?”

“……”

KangYoon did not say anything.

He only filled the other party’s empty glass.

Lee HyunJi spoke with a calm tone.

“Celebrities becoming stars and switching companies to bigger ones is a frequent occurrence in this industry. After all, people crave for a more stable environment.”

“But… Haa.”

Lee HyunJi’s attitude was rational. She was right.

VVIP Entertainment possessed several stars as a veteran company and had its own set of know-how as well. Meanwhile, looking for the same set of know-hows in a 1-man company like Keyode Entertainment was nonsensical.

KangYoon spoke.

“4 years is not short, yes. However, there are even more people who disappear without seeing the light of day after spending even more time. There are numerous trainees and one-shot actors who never have their debut. It’s amazing that you’ve managed to raise someone into a star in this 1 in 1000 industry.”

“Despite all that, I wasn’t able to protect her. I became alone now.”

President Kang GiJoon spoke on.

“At first, I was planning to accept director Lee’s proposal humbly. However, now that I think about it… I will probably only inconvenience you. I am a person who wasn’t able to protect my own star. After that incident, I’ve tried calling, and even going to her house like a stalker, but didn’t even get to see her. I was even humiliated by the new manager of hers. The feeling when I heard that there’s nothing between us anymore since the penalty fee is already paid… just what can someone like me do? I’m sorry, I’ll only be inconveniencing you.”

President Kang GiJoon had fallen into a sense of shame and looked down.

A moment of silence passed.

Just as Lee HyunJi was thinking about what to say, KangYoon spoke in a calm tone.

“I’ll be honest here. I’m disappointed.”

“…..”

Lee HyunJi’s eyes widened after hearing what KangYoon said.

“Presi…”

KangYoon lightly grabbed Lee HyunJi’s hands before continuing.

“It’s like watching a self-pity movie.”

“S, self-pity?”

President Kang GiJoon’s expression crumpled, but KangYoon did not bat an eyelid and continued speaking.

“In the first place, a producer carries the risk of betrayal from his or her artist. That’s why they try their best to have a discerning eye for people. Celebrities are lower than sand before they become big, but once they become big, they are like the stars shining in the skies. Only then does the true personality of that person come into the light. They may treat everyone else around like ants or they may keep doing their thing. The latter are those who last. From a producer’s perspective, one must look at that side and decide whether to keep working with the star or not.”

“……”

“Right now, President Kang, you have neither the discerning eye nor the heart to endure through the incident.”

“You…”

When KangYoon said it so directly, President Kang GiJoon’s eyes sparked.

However, KangYoon did not stop there.

“Just have a look in the mirror. We are guests, and this is a meeting of people from the same industry. However, you have a messy beard and you are drowning yourself in self-pity.”

“……”

President Kang GiJoon’s words caught in his throat.

KangYoon sighed briefly before continuing.

“…Because of the lack of discerning eyes, your six years of effort had gone down the drain. Your skills and endurance in raising your first entertainer into a star after 4 years – I’ll admit, it’s great. However, look at you know. You now have to acknowledge the results and endure through this, but I do not see a man who is prepared to do it.”

“……”

President Kang GiJoon trembled before shouting.

“Haha, P… president. You can only say that because you’ve never experienced such a thing.”

Hearing that, KangYoon flinched.

Actually, several stars were stolen from him before he returned to the past, but he couldn’t say that here.

KangYoon sighed before speaking.

“I’ve… had no reason to suffer such a thing in the first place. I meticulously picked people who will go through thick and thin together and enjoy the fruits of labor together.”

“But that’s….”

KangYoon was just angering him.

This man seemed to have come here to provoke him, not persuade him.

President Kang GiJoon stood up from his seat as though he had nothing to do here anymore.

At that moment, KangYoon calmly spoke.

“I’m not sure about anything else, but I can guarantee that the children you raise will not betray you.”

“….What?”

Hearing those words, president Kang GiJoon looked back at KangYoon dumbfoundedly.

“President Kang, you have many skills such as production, affection to your star as well as business. Perhaps this accumulated from the 4 years you’ve spent in this industry. There’s only one reason you didn’t have a good result, and that is that you did not know what your child was like. This industry is like that. People make it big and people ruin it.”

“…What is it that you want to say?”

His eyes were cold as KangYoon’s provocations had offended him.

However, KangYoon continued to speak calmly.

“I will allow you to become a Starmaker without the worries about betrayal. That is my condition for the merge of World and Keyode.”

“Hah….!”

President Kang GiJoon shouted as this was absurd.

He knew that World Entertainment was doing well right now.

He also found out that Kim JiMin had rejected an offer from VVIP Entertainment.

However, World couldn’t keep rising forever. Singers bring fortune to a music entertainment company, yes, but they also bring misfortune if they end up failing their album. World Entertainment possessed four such artists.

Moreover, who could guarantee no one would betray World?

“…You say merge, but you just want me.”

“I will not deny that. It’s also very difficult to find people who spent 4 years in the industry, so I’m willing to take the manager and the coordinators at your company.”

“…That’s not bad. But what are you going to do if an artist at World ends up going to another company?”

Humans were incomprehensible beings.

There were many companies bigger than World Entertainment.

Just what was this man going to do about it?

“I’ll just let the artist do what they want.”

“What?”

“Match the wishes of the celebrity and the company into one and generate profit. This is the direction that World Entertainment aims to go towards. This is not something that even those bigger companies can do. How many stars do you think will exchange freedom for money?”

KangYoon shrugged his shoulders as he replied.

“Ha… haha…”

KangYoon stood up as though his business was done here.

“Shaking your dead child will not bring them back to life.”

“…..”

“Please call me once you make up your mind.”

“I’ll talk to you about the real plans then. Don’t make me wait that long.”

Leaving him behind, KangYoon and Lee HyunJi called for a chauffeur.

Inside the car, Lee HyunJi opened the windows lightly and asked KangYoon.

“You seemed to have doubts but it seemed you’ve taken a liking to him.”

KangYoon shook his head.

“He seemed to be an affectionate man. He’s very caring towards his own people. The managers and other employees of his company may as well be jobless after that actress left, but he’s still taking care of them. I believe that those kinds of people will not betray their own stars.”

“Oho, didn’t you dislike him at first?”

“I still have my doubts.”

Lee HyunJi shrugged his shoulders.

‘I guess, if he liked the man, then ‘join me’ will be the first thing he would probably say.’

The two headed home.

***

After Kim JaeHoon’s recording finished, KangYoon immediately started mixing and mastering the song.

Usually, he would work by himself at home with that, but today it was a little different.

“That’s called leveling?”

There was a lady who was watching many music icons on the monitor inside the studio. It was Seo HanYu.

Her hands were holding a pen and a memo pad.

“Yes. It’s the process of adjusting the volumes of the various recordings. If you finish this, you’re about 60% done with the mixing. Usually, the drum sounds are done first, but for this song, there are no drums so I’m starting with the other percussion.”

“Ooh, huh? I think that’s a little big? What sound is this? It sounds grand.”

At first, the sound was bouncy, but it showed its grandeur more and more as it became louder.

“It’s the timpanis. Do you want to adjust the volume?”

“Huh? Can I do it? I think I’ll ruin it.”

“I’ll save another file for it, so go ahead.”

Seo HanYu started adjusting the timpani volume while listening to KangYoon’s advice.

The lights from the note from the timpani alternated between dimming out and becoming bright every time she played back the track.

“Oh, I think this should do.”

Reminding herself of an orchestra, Seo HanYu stopped adjusting the volume.

Next, KangYoon gave her another task.

“Try adjusting the cello this time.”

“Yes.”

The two were going through the leveling process when a knock sounded on the door. It was Jung HyeJin.

“President, there’s a guest.”

“A guest? Who is it?”

“His name was Kang GiJoon and he showed me your business card. For now, I told him to wait at the office…”

KangYoon assigned Seo HanYu a few more leveling tasks and went upstairs.

“Hello, President.”

Inside the office, President Kang GiJoon stood up from his seat and shook hands with KangYoon. Unlike the time at the bar, he looked very neat. He was still very chubby but he looked better without the messy beard.

“Welcome. Please sit down.”

Soon, Jung HyeJin gave them some tea, and the two started talking.

“I’ve thought it through the past few days. MinHye’s matters still prick my heart, but I can’t stay like this forever. You were right, president. She’ll never be the same again.”

KangYoon sipped his tea before speaking.

“I was worried that I spoke too harsh words to someone who experienced something painful. I apologize.”

When he said that, president Kang GiJoon shook his head.

“Not at all. You were right the whole time. Fuu, actually… I came here because I was ambitious.”

“Ambitious, you say?”

“Haha, did you forget? You told me you will turn me into a Starmaker, no?”

KangYoon grinned.

“Of course I remember. Then…”

“Yes. I’ve heard from director Lee before I came here. I heard you were going to make a theatrics-specialized department in World Entertainment.”

“Yes, and you are crucial for that, President Kang. As you know the pains of betrayal, you will probably never stab another person in the back.”

“Hahaha.”

Kang GiJoon smiled before speaking.

“Just, allow me to concentrate on my work without being worried about anything else. Match the wishes of the celebrity with the companies to generate profit? I’m curious about that as well. From a producer’s perspective, this shouldn’t be easy… so I wanted to try it myself.”

“I understand. Then, please take care of us in the future.”

The two shook hands and the contract was set.

Keyode Entertainment became a theatrics department under World Entertainment.

President Kang GiJoon asked with a voice full of motivation.

“However… I’ve never heard of World possessing an actor or an actress… are we starting from scratch?”

“No. Right now you should just focus on getting to know what World Entertainment is like while going through the M&A process. There will be someone soon enough.”

“Can I know who it is?”

KangYoon grinned before replying.

“Min JinSeo.”

“…WHAAAAT!?”

What did he mean by that?

Min JinSeo was a superstar and was incomparable to a puny Lee MinHye, no?

President Kang GiJoon’s eyes colored in shock.